July 2, 2012
Pictures from London are uploading as I write this, and I’m trying not to think about how my camera died just before the last leg of our trip. For one, I wasn’t able to take pictures on “the eye”, a ferris wheel lookin’ contraption that tourists max their cards out in order to ride and see a panoramic view of the entire city. I also missed recording a few buskers and some pretty incredible street music. One busker in particular however was able to inspire a relieving revelation as to why it wasn’t such a bad thing I missed capturing these last few images & sounds.
Late in the evening we were riding the tube (London’s underground train system) from St. Paul’s cathedral to Waterloo Station where we could walk to the eye. At the second to last stop, I began to hear the faint sound of vibrating guitar strings coming from outside the rail car. I looked back toward the door to see a black man with lengthy dreads, swell biceps and an acoustic guitar slung across his chest.
My first thought (out loud) was “Oh, hell yeah”, and just as I said this the man snuck a quick glance at me and gave a nod. Another series of notes flowed from his guitar followed by the first two words of the song, “Can’t stop”. I thought to myself how weird it was that I had just witnessed the Chili Peppers live in Dublin just four days ago and now out of everything this rasta-gypsy could have played, he plays a Red Hot Chili Peppers cover.
The Busta Rhymes look alike kept jamming and I slid to the seat across from him and whipped out my video camera. The only thing that showed up on the screen was the text, "Battery Empty". I made a throwing motion with the camera towards the ground and Busta just smiled and said, “No memory?” I nodded back and the jam continued.
The Busta Rhymes look alike kept jamming and I slid to the seat across from him and whipped out my video camera. The only thing that showed up on the screen was the text, "Battery Empty". I made a throwing motion with the camera towards the ground and Busta just smiled and said, “No memory?” I nodded back and the jam continued.
A few seconds later our stop came and as I hopped onto the platform I said something to the effect of, “Stay jammin’ man”. He nodded back and with a calm smile said, “Enjoy your stay in London”. As the train pulled away into the dark tunnel he was still looking at me and bobbing his head up and down.
I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics he’d just sung, “The world I love, the trains I hop, to be part of the wave, can’t stop” and how maybe this wasn’t just a weird coincidence. I didn’t realize until now that such a minor interaction could never be understood on camera. I’ve continued to film a few buskers, but I don’t get upset anymore when my camera dies, because you realize the best memories are the ones stored in your head. Although it may not be the most reliable, if you use it right you'll never run out of memory.
I couldn’t help but think of the lyrics he’d just sung, “The world I love, the trains I hop, to be part of the wave, can’t stop” and how maybe this wasn’t just a weird coincidence. I didn’t realize until now that such a minor interaction could never be understood on camera. I’ve continued to film a few buskers, but I don’t get upset anymore when my camera dies, because you realize the best memories are the ones stored in your head. Although it may not be the most reliable, if you use it right you'll never run out of memory.
“Support live music, it puts power in the people. It’s the great communication, it's god speaking”
- Michael “Flea” Balzary
- Michael “Flea” Balzary
Update- documentation from this encounter was in fact captured:
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